How to Use Magic Mushrooms to Cure Severe Depression

It is very difficult to carry out any research using illegal drugs, which is why it is only just coming to light that a compound found in the illegal drug magic mushrooms may be the answer to curing depression. People who live with this emotional difficulty will welcome the revelation, but there is still a lot of red tape stalling research trials, due to the illegal nature of the substance.

Depression affects the wellness and wellbeing of millions of people in the UK, but they could benefit from the chemical psilocybin, which is the ingredient in magic mushrooms that causes the psychedelic effect. It is thought that this could be used to turn down regions of the brain that are associated with depression, such as the anterior cingulate cortex. In people with depression, these areas seem overstimulated, and are held responsible for many of the symptoms found in severe depression, such as dwelling on feelings of worthlessness, unhappiness or inadequacy.

A research team was headed by David Nutt, a former UK government drugs adviser and took place with the help of a team from Imperial College London. The team from the college believes strongly that psilocybin may be the vital breakthrough that they have been looking for to help tackle serious depression, as sometimes this strength of depression cannot be treated in the usual way, such as with antidepressants and talking therapy.

Volunteers were used for the preliminary research, and the results showed that there may also be benefits beyond improving the wellness of those with severe depression. Increased emotional wellbeing was demonstrated in the volunteers, with effects lasting for up to two weeks after they took the drug.

This exciting preliminary lays the ground work for further research, and the team has secured a half million pound grant to proceed, but first they must tackle the fact that research on the illegal drug is strictly controlled.

How to Use Magic Mushrooms to Cure Severe Depression

Categories: depression, illegal, illegal drug, magic, magic mushrooms, mushrooms, Research, severe, severe depression, team

Alternatives to antidepressants

There are several treatments that can be used as alternatives to antidepressants for treating depression and other mental health conditions.

Talking therapies

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy that is increasingly being used in the treatment of depression. Most experts recommend that people with moderate to severe depression are treated with a combination of CBT and antidepressants.

But if you are unable or unwilling to take antidepressants then you have the option of receiving CBT as a sole treatment.

CBT helps you understand your thoughts and behaviour and how they affect you. It helps you recognise that events in your past may have shaped you, but it concentrates mostly on how you can change the way you think, feel and behave in the present. It also teaches you how to overcome negative thoughts.

CBT is available on the NHS. You normally have a short course of sessions, usually six to eight sessions, over 10-12 weeks on a one-to-one basis with a counsellor trained in CBT. In some cases, you may be offered group CBT.

Online CBT

Computerised CBT is a form of CBT that works through a computer screen, rather than face-to-face with a therapist.

It’s delivered in a series of weekly sessions and should be supported by a healthcare professional. For instance, it’s usually prescribed by your GP and you may have to use the surgery computer to access the programme.

Ask your GP for more information or read more about online CBT and the courses available here.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on your relationships with other people and on problems you may be having in your relationships, such as difficulties with communication or coping with bereavement.

A course of IPT is usually structured in the same way as a course of CBT.

There’s some evidence that IPT can be as effective as antidepressants or CBT, but more research is needed.

Counselling

Counselling is a form of therapy that helps you think about the problems you are experiencing in your life to find new ways of dealing with them. Counsellors support you in finding solutions to problems, but do not tell you what to do.

Counselling on the NHS usually consists of 6-12 sessions lasting an hour each. You talk in confidence to a counsellor. The counsellor supports you and offers practical advice.

Counselling is ideal for people who are healthy but need help coping with a current crisis, such as anger, relationship issues, bereavement, redundancy, infertility or the onset of a serious illness.

Exercise

Research suggests that regular exercise may be a more effective treatment for mild depression than antidepressants.

Exercise helps boost levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can lift your mood.

Exercising on a regular basis can boost self-esteem and confidence which can also help relieve symptoms of depression.

Your GP may refer you to a qualified fitness trainer for an exercise scheme or you can find out more about starting exercise here.

Read more about exercise for depression.

Self-help groups

Talking through your feelings can be helpful. You can either talk to a friend or relative, or you can ask your GP to suggest a local self-help group.

Find out more about depression support groups.

Lithium

If you’ve tried several different antidepressants and had no improvement, your doctor may offer you a type of medication called lithium, in addition to your current treatment.

There are two types of lithium – lithium carbonate and lithium citrate. Both are usually effective, but if you are taking one that works for you, it’s best not to change.

If the level of lithium in your blood becomes too high, it can become toxic. So, you’ll need blood tests every three months to check your lithium levels while you’re on it.

You’ll also need to avoid eating a low-salt diet because this can also cause the lithium to become toxic. Ask your GP for advice about your diet.

Side effects of lithium include:

• dry mouth


• a metallic taste in your mouth


• some mild shaking of your hands


• diarrhoea

These side effects usually pass with time once your body gets used to the medication.

Electric shock treatment

Sometimes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be recommended if you have severe depression and other treatments including antidepressants haven’t worked.

During ECT, you’ll first be given an anaesthetic and medication to relax your muscles. Then you’ll receive an electrical ‘shock’ to your brain through electrodes placed on your head.

You may be given a series of ECT sessions. It is usually given twice a week for 3-6 weeks.

For most people, ECT is good for relieving severe depression, but the beneficial effect tends to wear off after several months.

Some people get unpleasant side effects, including short-term headaches, memory problems, nausea and muscle aches.

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Alternatives to antidepressants

Categories: behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural, depression, interpersonal therapy, lithium, online cbt, severe depression, therapy ipt

When antidepressants are used

The main use for antidepressants is treating depression. They are also used for some other mental health conditions and to treat long-term pain.

In most cases, people with moderate to severe depression are given antidepressants as a first form of treatment. They are usually given along with a talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of therapy that uses a problem-solving approach to help improve thought, mood and behaviour.

Antidepressants are not usually recommended for treating mild depression because research has found that they have limited effectiveness.

However, exceptions can be made if:

• symptoms of mild depression have lasted for more than two years


• you have experienced previous episodes of moderate or severe depression

Initially, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) will usually be prescribed. If your symptoms have not improved after four weeks, an alternative antidepressant may be recommended. Depending on your personal circumstances, this may be a certain type of antidepressant such as:

• a different type of SSRI


• a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI)


• a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)


• a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)

Other mental health conditions

Antidepressants can also be used to help treat other mental health conditions, including:

• anxiety disorder


• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)


• panic disorder


• serious phobias, such as agoraphobia and social phobia


• bulimia


• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

As with depression, SSRIs are usually the first choice of treatment for these conditions. If SSRIs prove ineffective, an alternative type of antidepressant can be used.

Long-term pain

Even though tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were not originally designed to be painkillers, there is evidence to suggest that they are effective in treating chronic (long-term) nerve pain in some people.

Chronic nerve pain, also known as neuropathic pain, is caused by nerve damage or other problems with the nerves, and is often unresponsive to traditional painkillers, such as paracetamol.

Amitriptyline is the TCA that is usually used to treat neuropathic pain. Conditions that may benefit from treatment with amitriptyline include:

• complex regional pain syndrome


• peripheral neuropathy


• multiple sclerosis


• conditions where a nerve becomes trapped, such as sciatica

Antidepressants have also been used to treat cases of chronic pain that do not involve the nerves (non-neuropathic pain). However, they are thought to be less effective for this purpose.

As well as TCAs, SSRIs and SSNIs can also be used to treat chronic non-neuropathic pain.

Conditions that cause non-neuropathic pain that may benefit from treatment with antidepressants include:

• fibromyalgia


• chronic back pain


• chronic neck pain

Bedwetting in children

TCAs are sometimes used to treat bedwetting in children as they can help relax the muscles of the bladder. This increases bladder capacity and reduces the urge to urinate.

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When antidepressants are used

Categories: health conditions, Long term, Mental Health, mild depression, nerve pain, neuropathic pain, reuptake inhibitor, severe depression